Mick Hartley

A British university student is facing prosecution after comparing a Keffiyeh worn by a pro-Palestinian activist to a “tea towel” during Freshers’ Fair at @RoyalHolloway.

20-year-old Brodie Mitchell told the President of the Friends of Palestine Society, Huda El-Jamal, that her… pic.twitter.com/UUPIA3F4Xi

— The Free Speech Union (@SpeechUnion) April 9, 2026

20-year-old Brodie Mitchell told the President of the Friends of Palestine Society, Huda El-Jamal, that her keffiyeh looked like a “tea towel” after she called him a “wannabe Jew” because he was defending Israel and mocked him for not wearing a Jewish “hat”.

In a classic case of double standards on campus, Brodie was handed a nine-week suspension the following day “for alleged conduct that could be considered hate speech”. He was told his comments were “Islamophobic”, “racist”, and “anti-Palestinian” and was barred from campus and forced to leave his student accommodation.

Surrey Police have now confirmed they have sent a file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for a charging decision — meaning Brodie could face prosecution for saying El-Jamal’s headscarf looked like a “tea towel”. Meanwhile, she faced no disciplinary action and continued her studies as normal.

Welcome to two-tier Britain.…

Story in the Telegraph:

A student is facing possible hate crime charges after making a joke comparing a pro-Palestine activist’s headscarf to a tea towel….

Mr Mitchell, who describes himself as a non-Jewish Zionist, became involved in the confrontation at Royal Holloway’s freshers’ fair last September, after Huda El-Jamal, the president of the Friends of Palestine Society, allegedly described him as a “wannabe Jew” and asked why he was not wearing a Jewish yarmulke or kippah.

He responded by telling Ms El-Jamal: “You’re wearing a tea towel on your head”, referring to her keffiyeh scarf. The scarf is a symbol of the Palestinian cause.

Mr Mitchell was suspended from the university the next day for the duration of a nine-week investigation by Royal Holloway “for alleged conduct that could be considered hate speech”.

He is now taking the university to court over its decision to temporarily suspend him from his studies.…

Lord Young of Acton, the general secretary of the Free Speech Union, called the case “a deeply shocking story”.

He said: “An argument between two students has been blown out of all proportion by Royal Holloway. Brodie should never have been banned from campus and placed under investigation, let alone reported to the police.”